Nigeria’s power grid resilience must become a central part of the country’s energy security strategy, Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe has said, arguing that electricity infrastructure deserves the same strategic attention historically given to fuel supplies.
Tegbe made the remarks on Tuesday at the opening plenary of the 50th Middle East Energy 2026 Leadership Summit in Dubai, where he delivered a keynote address on “Energy Security and the Effect of Geopolitics.”
Why Nigeria power grid resilience matters for energy security
Tegbe said energy security can no longer be assessed solely by the size of a country’s oil and gas reserves. He said it increasingly depends on the resilience of the wider energy system, including grid infrastructure, critical mineral supply chains, capital and institutions capable of maintaining electricity supplies during periods of economic or geopolitical stress.
The minister linked the argument to Nigeria’s ongoing electricity-sector reforms, saying investment would depend heavily on regulatory certainty, contract sanctity and bankable power-purchase arrangements.
Tegbe said power grids should receive the same strategic priority traditionally given to fuel supply. He cited more than 200 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves as part of the country’s energy-security advantage. Tegbe said about 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, making the continent’s energy deficit an increasingly important global security issue. He argued that investors can price risk but struggle with regulatory uncertainty, stressing the importance of stable rules after contracts are signed.
The argument comes as Nigeria’s electricity market continues to decentralise under the Electricity Act 2023. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission says 15 states had taken over regulation of their intrastate electricity markets by 2026, illustrating how the legal framework is moving the sector away from a purely centralised model.
The World Bank, meanwhile, identifies grid unreliability as a defining feature of electricity access in Nigeria, with frequent and prolonged blackouts affecting much of the country. That makes grid reliability a practical economic issue as well as a policy concern.
Can Nigeria’s power reforms deliver stronger grid reliability?
Tegbe presented Nigeria’s reforms as a potential model for developing economies seeking to strengthen energy security. He described the Electricity Act 2023 as a major shift that ended the longstanding federal monopoly and opened the way for multiple electricity markets across the country.
He also called for an orderly and equitable global energy transition, arguing that affordability should itself be treated as a security issue. For Africa, he urged international partnerships to move beyond raw-resource extraction into local processing, manufacturing, skills development and long-term investment.
The immediate test for Nigeria will be whether regulatory reforms and new electricity markets translate into stronger generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. The country's large gas reserves and expanding market opportunities provide potential advantages, but sustained investment and reliable delivery to homes and businesses will determine whether those advantages become meaningful energy security.
